Griswold man charged in belt beating of 10-year-old boy

GRISWOLD — A Griswold man is facing a felony charge for disciplining his live-in girlfriend's 10-year-old son by hitting him with a belt.

Christopher Price, 35, was arrested Oct. 21 by state police and was arraigned Wednesday in Norwich Superior Court on charges of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors, and risk of injury to a child, a felony that carries a maximum of 10 years in prison if he's found guilty.

Police were called Oct. 18 to Griswold Middle School after the boy told his sister about being hit with a belt two nights earlier, police said, and the sister told school authorities.

The school nurse found five bruises on the boy's right upper thigh, police said, and called the state Department of Children and Families.

The boy's mother said Price told her about the incident, which happened when she was away at work.

Price gave a statement to police about what he said happened. He said that on the night of Oct. 16, the child failed to do several chores to his satisfaction, according to police, and Price punished him by making him stand for 10 to 15 minutes with his nose and toes pressed against a wall.

Shortly afterward, Price told police, he questioned the boy about a crock pot on a table that had not been put away and he said the boy pretended he hadn't noticed it.

"I then took him into the kitchen. I then told him to put his hands on the counter and I removed my belt," Price's statement said. "I told him he was going to be spanked for lying. I then hit him once with my belt. He jumped away from the counter and took his hands off the counter. I told him to put his hands back on the counter, he said it hurt. I told him it also hurts us when he keeps lying to us and steals from his mother. I told him to put his hands back on the counter and was going to swat him five times without him removing his hands from the counter. I then hit him with my belt again, and he moved from the counter once again. I said to him, please stop moving. He put his hands back on the counter and I struck him with my belt five more times."

Price said he then told the boy to eat dinner, take a shower and brush his teeth correctly and go to bed.

Price is free on a promise to appear in court. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 4.